The noose is tightening around Muammar Gaddafi’s neck but it may still take some time to finish the job. If the resistance forces, now that they have encircled Tripoli, feel they can attack early – some are saying they want the hated regime’s end to come before August and Ramadan are out – blood could flow in the streets of the city and its suburbs for many days, possibly weeks.

If the resistance chooses the cleverer course of starving Col Gaddafi out, now that they can deny him fuel and other supplies, the internal pressure on the autocrat will increase. There has already been a fresh spate of high level defections, though that of Abdel-Salam Jalloud is more symbolic rather than effective. More could come soon.

Yet, perhaps more important than that, the undoubted strong element of anti-Gaddafi Tripolitanians, both because they feel the growing supplies pinch and also taking strength from the proximity of rebel forces, could be emboldened towards their own strong uprising. Whichever way it goes, it’s going to take some more time for the drama to give way towards a new beginning.

No one can predict what that will lead to. Libya is made up of a diverse people, not accustomed to the workings of democracy. It will take a long time for any sort of western-type structure to be built, if that is ever achieved. But the apparatus of government will be reinstalled, hopefully different from that of old. Even if democracy will be its goal, its immediate task will be to rebuild the devastated parts of the land.

They are many, especially around the oil producing and shipping regions. For the necessary financial resources to be at hand, oil has to start flowing once again. There are going to be many opportunities for foreign firms to take part in the rebuilding process and for governments to establish close political relations that will translate into trading openings for their people.

Malta should benefit from Libya’s post-Gaddafi future, both in terms of the resumption of the various small, medium and large initiatives, which had been yielding well prior to the uprising, and in terms of new ventures. It is more than likely that these will be developed on the basis of the old model, which sought to involve Libyan nationals at all levels. The resistance will not be about to move from an authoritarian regime right into the waiting arms of capitalistic neo-colonialism.

Malta should indeed fare well from the rebuilding process once it starts in earnest. But has it prepared itself enough for that? The government’s relationship with the transitional council has been very positive. Yet, it has fallen well short of actual recognition, even in the wake of a careful wait-and-see period and formal recognition from governments all along the political spectrum. The new rulers of Libya will still see us as good friends but a much closer early relationship could have been built.

There is another gap that should be remedied. A considerable number of Libyans have been trying to send their families to Malta. They did that to get away from the immediate danger. They will also be doing that to ensconce their families in a safe haven while the edgy reshuffling of the political pack takes place. Libyan friends tell me, however, that colleagues of theirs find it very difficult to get a visa to come to Malta.

A principal reason, no doubt, relates to Malta’s Schengen obligations because formal admission to Malta allows visitors to move on to other Schengen countries. It could be, however, that this consideration has bulked too large in the bureaucratic procedures of our authorities. Here one is referring to a segment of the Libyan people that includes potential members of the new Executive that has to be built up in our neighbouring country, both at the political and the bureaucratic level.

Possibly much time has been lost. Possibly, too, there is time left to shift towards a new and better approach towards Libyans who want to hedge their first start. As a people we support the drive of the Libyan people towards a fresh and finer start, hopefully to lead them to a full democracy. Parallel with that we would be very foolish if we did not position ourselves to benefit from the Libyan new dawn as much as possible.